1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a remote control apparatus for controlling the shutter operation of a camera.
2. Description of Related Art
A conventional remote control apparatus of a camera basically has an infrared transmitter and an infrared receiver for transmitting and receiving infrared radiation (remote release signal), respectively. The infrared receiver is usually provided on a camera body associated with an electromagnetic shutter in order to receive the infrared radiation transmitted from the infrared transmitter thereby to release the shutter.
The infrared receiver of the remote control apparatus is usually mounted to a hot shoe of the camera body, so that the direction of the receiving surface of the infrared receiver can be adjusted in accordance with an expected position (direction) of the operator.
Accordingly, in a conventional remote control apparatus, the operator, carrying the infrared transmitter is not intended to be part of the scene to be photographed. Therefore, if the operator should be the subject, it is next to impossible to confirm that the object is within the picture to be taken. This is more serious in a camera, such as a zoom lens camera or a two-focal length camera, in which the focal length of the photographing lens is variable, since the angle of view (field angle) varies in accordance with the change of the focal length.